There are currently over 60 Genshin Impact characters, including the Traveler variations you’ll unlock along the way. So brace yourself for a summary of who they are, their abilities, specialized weapons, where they rank in the universe, and more. We’ll organize them by tiers, so it’s easier on the eyes. 

Genshin Impact is constantly updating with more characters for their player base, and we’re excited to welcome them all. With every new character and update, changes are made to the meta, so this list may not be accurate 100% of the time.  

Note that this is all based on my opinion; you are entitled to have yours! I’d love to hear what you think.

In the meantime, our playable character rankings are also broken down by tier list.

SS-Tier Genshin Impact Characters

The best of the best. These are powerful Genshin Impact characters with the ability to one-hit kill at their peak.

1. Ganyu

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 5 Star

Ganyu has remained one of the most powerful characters in Genshin Impact from the beginning. You’ll get to meet her in Chapter 1: Act 2: Farewell, Archaic Lord once you’ve made it to Liyue, but she can only be obtained through wishes. This half Adeptus is a one-of-a-kind character in the game, beloved by the gods.

She can inflict millions of damage every few seconds, and you don’t need to rely on her skills or bursts. As a result, her damage output is more consistent, which makes her an excellent choice in prolonged combat. She’s easily the most invincible character in the game.

 

2. Hu Tao

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 5 Star

Hu Tao used to be the highest damage dealer in the game with 2 million damage in a single hit but has since been bested by Eula. That doesn’t make her any less formidable, though. As Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, she’s strongest when closest to death.

If you could get your hands on the Staff of Homa, Hu Tao would be powerful, but the Dragon’s Bane polearm would also work. However, to deal massive damage, she must be accompanied by characters that would help her activate some elemental reactions like Melt and Vaporize.

 

3. Kamisato Ayaka

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 5 Star

Ayaka was one of the first Genshin Impact characters from Inazuma to be released in the game, so she packs quite a punch, especially when properly built. As the heir to the Kamisato Clan, she upholds the samurai standards. Everything about her is simple, from her abilities to her build – but she can still deal substantial damage.

One of the key features that made her a favorite amongst players is her ability to disappear when she’s dashing. She’ll sink into the ground and leave a trail of snow in her wake. She can also walk on water, much better than other Cryo-based characters.

 

4. Raiden Shogun

Element: Electro

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 5 Star

It is no surprise that Raiden is currently the best battery in the game. We all knew she would be one of the most powerful characters – she’s the Electro archon, after all. She’s a great utility character that you can add to your team. 

She does go by many names: Baal, God of Eternity, etc., but Raiden could definitely help as a sub-DPS if you’re looking for one. She can deal substantial damage and recharge the abilities of those around her easily every time she puts her abilities to use.

 

5. Nahida

Element: Dendro

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 5 Star

Nahida is the vessel of Buer, also known as Lesser Lord Kusanali, our reigning Dendro archon. Her banner was one of the most wished-on events in Genshin Impact history, and she is a fan favorite due to her ability to read minds and a rather self-conscious personality. 

Dendro characters are mainly used to trigger reactions, leading to greater damage, and Nahida is great. If you focus on her elemental Mastery, she will provide one of the best supports available for your team. Do note that she’s not best positioned as a DPS or in a position that deals physical damage. 

Make sure to pair her well, and you’ll take over the field in no time.

 

6. Kaedehara Kazuha

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 5 Star

Kazuha is dubbed a ‘better version of Venti,’ an Anemo user who can do what Venti does but more effortlessly. He’s also a sword-wielding samurai that harnesses the power of the wind, which is pretty cool.

His character helps with Elemental Mastery and creates constant Swirl reactions, which is very good for crowd control when you’re up against multiple enemies. In this sense, he’s like a powerful version of Venti and Sucrose combined. Perfect as a Support or sub-DPS.

 

7. Zhongli

Element: Geo

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 5 Star

The Geo archon himself, Zhongli is the God of Wealth (and somehow ironically penniless) and one that you will encounter the moment you enter Liyue. Zhongli has been dubbed one of the best Support/Shield characters you could ever get in the game, mainly because his shields are impenetrable and affect everybody.

With his polearm, he could also distance himself from his enemies. If your shields aren’t enough to help you win a battle, this bad boy can call a meteor to freeze everyone in stone or decimate them completely. So even if you think you’re losing, you’re not.

 

8. Ningguang

Element: Geo

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 4 Stars

This is a rare moment where a 4-star character makes it an SS-Tier character. Ningguang has more pros than cons regarding gameplay, so it makes sense to place her high. Her shield allows for protection against ranged attacks. When paired with Geo characters, their Geo damage will be increased when her Jade Screen is up.

Her Elemental Burst provides some serious damage. She is also one of the more valuable characters when you’re fighting from long range. Her tiny issue would be her slow attack speed compared to others, which could be better when multiple enemies are around.

 

S Tier

Those classified under S-Tier are powerful and top-tier characters but not as Godlike as the SS-Tier characters.

9. Eula

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 5 Star

Now the highest physical damage dealer in the game with 4 million damage in one hit, Eula is a force to contend with. As a descendant of the tyrannical Lawrence clan, she is not exactly favorable in the eyes of the residents of Monstadt, but she gets the job done.

With her high-speed attacks and deadly elemental burst, Eula makes for a great main DPS. Make sure to build her up nicely and pair her with a good claymore like Song of Broken Pines to get the most out of her character.

 

10. Xiao

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 5 Star

Another super unique character of the game, Xiao is an ancient Adeptus contracted to protect Liyue from demons. Of all the Anemo users, Xiao deals the most damage, and if you’re looking for another top-tier DPS character, Xiao is a great pick.

He doesn’t rely on Elemental Reactions but needs a battery in his team to recharge his abilities quicker. Xiao has his very own specialized weapon: the Primordial Jade Winged Spear, but if you can’t get your hands on that, the Blackcliff Pole would also work.

11. Diluc

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 5 Star

It’s Mr. Darkside himself—the Batman of Genshin Impact, with his enormous fortune and double life. Diluc is your standard DPS character that can deal extreme damage with ease. He’s also one of the first few characters that you will meet in the beginning as you journey through Monstadt.

You can easily do a speed run with this guy. Just pair him with some good support and healer characters. His abilities and skills have a low cooldown, so you can efficiently deal damage after damage without remorse.

 

12. Tartaglia Childe

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 5 Star

This Snezhnayan spy and member of the Eleven Harbingers is the strongest Hydro DPS in the game and can easily beat the rest. He generally uses a bow but can manifest Hydro dual blades with his abilities.

Tartaglia is a formidable enemy that you’ll come to fight in the game itself, and his range of attacks gives him an added boost. His long-range attacks are precise and powerful, but his short-range attacks are quick and lethal. As a result, he’s a character beloved by many, even with his somewhat twisted motives.

 

13. Kamisato Ayato

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 5 Star

The busy brother of Kamisato Ayaka and head of the Kamisato clan, Ayato is a highly respected man of Inazuma. He is a cunning character that also heads the Yashiro Commission, as you will find out as you complete the Inazuma storylines. Ayato is one of the more powerful wielders of Hydro that should not be underestimated.

His Elemental Burst can extend his range of attack, and unlocking his constellations will further boost his attacks. He’s best equipped with the Haran Geppaku Futsu sword, which will, again, add to his damage and crit stats. If you’re looking for a solid Hydro DPS, make a wish on Ayato’s banner and pray to the gacha gods!

14. Bennett

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 4 Star

Bennett is a sweet Genshin Impact character known for being unlucky in everything he does but still staying somewhat positive. He is among the few 4 stars that can surpass the ranks and join the 5 stars. He is one of the best Pyro supports in the game, with a powerful elemental burst ability.

He’s best when paired with other Pyro characters, so be sure to consider that when you’re forming teams. The best thing about Bennett is that he is easy to get since he’s a 4-star character and easy to build.

 

15. Sangonomiya Kokomi

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 5 Star

The first and only Archon-like character could be classified as a Support character. We call her Archon-like because she’s an island ruler but not an Archon. Kokomi is a healer that most people were disappointed to find out at first as everyone expected another DPS as an island ruler.

However, Kokomi proves to be a great healer and a good pick for those needing one. She can deal high damage and take on different roles, but it would be best to build her as a Support for your team. The Everlasting Moonglow is her character’s designated weapon, so make sure to go with that!

 

16. Keqing

Element: Electro

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 5 Star

Keqing is a part of the esteemed Liyue Qixing and is one of the few characters with outfits for players to purchase. In addition, she’s one of the strongest Electro characters, especially when paired with Dendro, to trigger some strong elemental reactions.

Her moves and abilities are all super fast and flashy, which works great for solving electro-based puzzles, notably in Inazuma. She does have a flexible DPS build. You can build her based on her Electro abilities or as a Physical DPS. The best weapon to pair her off with would be the Mistsplitter Reforged which would add to her elemental damage.

 

17. Klee

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 5 Star

Klee is the baby of Monstadt, but she packs explosive power. Literally; She specializes in explosives and bombs, even if she’s not aware of it. This also means she can deal massive damage from a safe distance and be a great DPS.

For this, you would need to pair her with a character that can shield or protect her or, better yet, a character that could also deal substantial damage. Additionally, she would need a character that is not a Pyro user, as she would be pretty helpless against Pyro-based enemies.

 

18. Tighnari

Element: Dendro

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 5 Star

A bow-wielding Dendro character from Sumeru, Tighnari is a Forest Watcher that prefers to be alone in the Avidya Forest. And yes, he has black fox-like ears, which add cuteness to his quietly blunt character. 

Tighnari’s character is excellent for beginners to the game and the Dendro element. Due to auto tracking, his charged attack is easiest to use, even on mobile. His elemental burst allows multiple spams due to its low cost. Pair him with a bow like Hunter’s Path, and he’ll throw Dendro damage.

 

19. Xingqiu

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 4 Star

One of those 4-star characters that could rival 5 stars, Xingqiu is a great 4-star sub-DPS character and a noble-born into the Feiyun Commerce Guild of Liyue. However, like all great characters, he needs some building to be a great character.

Pair him up with Razor for some additional Electro-charged damage, and his elemental burst damage is what you should build on if you want a deeper focus on elemental damage.

 

20. Kuki Shinobu

Element: Electro

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 4 Star

One of those characters that really pack a punch if you know how to build and care for is Kuki Shinobu. She’s a ninja that’s part of Itto’s group of misfits, essentially Itto’s right hand. And yes, she’s a great 4-star character with 5-star attributes, especially when paired with a Dendro team.

She’s an Electro-healer, which makes her a unique character that can effectively heal and trigger elemental reactions which cause damage. Her healing abilities scale off of her Elemental Mastery, and she can provide great support to characters off-field.

 

21. Yoimiya

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 5 Star

A lot of people expected Yoimiya to be a Pyro version of Ganyu, but well, she falls short of those expectations. Albeit, not that far behind. She’s still a reasonably good DPS, though. She has abilities that grant her fast and hard-hitting attacks. Yoimiya is a relatively simple and easy character to master. Everything about her is straightforward.

So far, she’s best suited as a DPS. Just equip her with a full set of Shimenawa’s Reminiscence or Crimson Witch of Flames, and she’ll work wonders with the extra pyro damage boost. Damage from elemental reactions like Overloaded, Vaporize and more would be increased as well.

 

22. Yun Jin

Element: Geo

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 4 Star

Yun Jin is one of those low-key characters you don’t often see being talked about. But her character can stab hard when done right. Definitely, an underrated character as most people prefers other elements to Geo. She’s the director of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe and can occasionally be found performing at the Heyu Tea House in Liyue.

She can provide a high normal attack damage bonus and a normal attack speed bonus when her last constellation is unlocked. She can deal AoE Geo damage with her Elemental Burst and even put up a shield to fend for herself with her Elemental Skill. Build up her defense and energy recharge, and she’ll prove to be a useful character on the field.

 

23. Yelan

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 5 Star

Yelan is a mysterious character that works as a private intelligence agent that seems to be collaborating with Ningguang. Her character is a great damage dealer and energy gatherer. She’s one of those characters that are quite easy to build as the majority of her abilities scale from her HP except for her normal attacks.

Her passive fuels the damage of on-field characters, which is always a great bonus to have. Pair her with the Aqua Simulacra bow which is her signature weapon that increases her CRIT damage, HP and damage stats. In terms of teams, add in a character with swift normal attacks to make use of her passive and deal higher damage.

 

A-Tier Genshin Impact Characters

This section is reserved for Genshin Impact characters who are powerful but are just not powerful enough to make it into the S-Tier criteria. You could go far with just these lot, and they rival S-tiers once maxed out.

24. Jean

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 5 Star

Truthfully, a part of me feels like I should put Jean in the S-Tier, but putting her into the A-Tier sounds about right. She’s the Dandelion Knight and Acting Grand Master of The Knights of Favonius. You can build Jean in two ways: as a Support or as a DPS, so it is up to your needs and preferences.

She’s a pretty all-rounder as she also has healing abilities. So she can inflict damage and take damage as well. This makes her a formidable character to come across and have in your team with her versatile abilities.

 

25. Yae Miko

Element: Electro

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 5 Star

Yae Miko is one of the characters that played a huge role in the Inazuma timeline. She’s also an important figure in general, a kitsune that oversees the Grand Narukami Shrine owns the Yae Publishing House and close friend of the Shogun. 

She works best as an off-field DPS and her Elemental Skill can easily be spammed due to its low cooldown rate. To counter that though, her Elemental Burst has a high energy cost and can easily be avoided as it only focuses on a single area. Her signature weapon is Kagura’s Verity which increases the damage of her elemental skill as she spams it.

 

26. Venti

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 5 Star

Our free-spirited Anemo Archon, Venti is a bard and one of the main characters of the Monstadt arc. He’s a great support character and is one of the best Anemo characters you can get in the game. 

As the God of Freedom, he can conjure winds that can let you fly up into the sky. You can fly, glide and send unwanted enemies spiralling into the great beyond. He’s a great crowd controller with his vortex ability and his long-range ability through his bow is a good final line of defense.

 

27. Arataki Itto

Element: Geo

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 5 Star

The latest addition to the Genshin Impact characters roster, Arataki shot to the top. He’s a rather rare Geo character, and his position as a DPS makes him a formidable one. Arataki is half oni and is head of the Arataki gang – his abilities definitely reflect that.

He’s good for large crowds and mobs. Itto has the ability to taunt his enemies with a powerful charged attack as well. His several drawbacks would be his high elemental burst cost and long charge-up times. All this could be fixed with the right artifact sets, of course.

28. Mona

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 5 Star

One of the better sub-DPS characters out there, Mona deals pretty high Hydro damage to those around her. As a Hydro sub-DPS, she can trigger all sorts of elemental reactions such as Freeze, Vaporize, Overloaded, Electro-Charged, and more.

In turn, these elemental reactions can help with crowd control and mob fights. She can easily act as a supplementary damage dealer if you need one as well. She’s a proud astrologer, this one, but if you can get past her personality, she’ll work wonders. She’s also pretty broke.

 

29. Wanderer

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 5 Star

Perhaps one of the biggest things about the Wanderer’s character is his ability to fly or levitate in the air as he attacks. We have yet to gain a character with such mobility before. Previously known as Scaramouche, you can also change his name once you’ve gotten through the Archon Quest ‘As Though Morning Dew’ Interlude Chapter: Act III – Inversion of Genesis.

He’s one of the few Anemo characters for now that can produce consistent Anemo Swirls and damage. His Elemental Skill has no downtime and he can deal damage even when dodging attacks. With that said, his current issue is that he’s squishy without a shield and has quite a low HP, making him annoying to use in high-stakes situations.

 

30. Albedo

Element: Geo

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 5 Star

Another character fit for the sub-DPS role with his shield and utility abilities. He has a good shield and his abilities could boost other characters’ DPS and defensive capabilities. His passive abilities allow for better energy recharge and substantial AoE Geo damage to others. 

Albedo is a synthetic human and is the Chief Alchemist of Monstadt. He’s one of those characters with limitless knowledge and in love with research. To get his full potential, you’ll need to pair him up with some DPS characters for him to assist.

 

31. Nilou

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 5 Star

An elegant dancer of the Zubayr Theatre in Sumeru, Nilou can still expend some damage to her enemies when need be. Her passive allows her to increase the Elemental Mastery of her team and she’s an ace in group battles, especially in a Bloom team composition. 

Note that her passive works with Hydro and Dendro characters only, so remember that as you build a team with her in it. Her main source of damage is by triggering Bloom reactions with Dendro and she inflicts powerful damage this way.

 

32. Cyno

Element: Electro

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 5 Star

Dubbed as Razor on steroids, or a grown version of Razor, we have Cyno. His character is known as General Mahamatra that leads the Matra. The Matra are a group of disciplinary officers for the Sumeru Akademiya. Cyno is a quick and easy-to-use Electro polearm character that increases damage with Elemental Mastery.

His character is rather difficult to build since he needs a balance of everything. But once done right, he can be a force to reckon with. His signature weapon is the Staff of the Scarlet Sands which increases his CRIT rate and attacks with Elemental Mastery. His best build would be as a main DPS. Pair him up with a good healer and a Dendro character to activate some powerful reactions!

 

33. Shenhe

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 5 Star

An orphaned child that was taken in and trained by Cloud Retainer herself, Shenhe is a strong Cryo character that provides a Cryo damage bonus. She can boost the Elemental Skill, Burst, Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attack damage of the whole team.

The main downside is that she has quite limited team compositions and has a high energy cost to use her Elemental Burst. She requires a Cryo-based team composition and there’s a limited number of Cryo characters in the game. Her signature weapon is the Calamity Queller polearm which increases her Elemental damage and her attacks when she uses her Elemental Skills.

 

34. Yanfei

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 4 Star

The love child of an Adeptus and a human, Yanfei is an explosive Genshin Impact character to have on your team. She’s best equipped with a full set of Crimson Witch of Flames and The Lost Prayer To The Sacred Winds as her catalyst. With this build, she’ll do great as a main DPS as it increases her movement speed and deals higher damage.

As usual, pair her up with characters of different elemental abilities to trigger some pretty cool elemental reactions. Her abilities could also deal substantial far-ranged damage and AoE Pyro damage.

 

35. Razor

Element: Electro

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 4 Star

Soft wolf-boy Razor has the potential to rival 5 Star characters with his elemental abilities if you build him right, of course. If you can get your hands on Wolf’s Gravestone – Razor’s character weapon, you’ll be a pretty powerful character that could deal substantial damage. Either that or the Prototype Archaic would do well.

Building him as a DPS is your best bet. If you don’t have a strong 5-star DPS character available, Razor would be a good replacement. You could pair him up with Hydro characters to trigger more elemental reactions as well.

 

36. Xiangling

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 4 Star

This Liyue chef can be obtained for free as long as you complete Floor 3 Chamber 3 of the permanent Spiral Abyss Event in the game. She has a wide range of attacks with her polearm and her elemental bursts can be repeatedly spammed. Her attacks are usually quick, whilst her bear companion Gouba can help her relieve some pressure.

Her main issue lies with Gouba though. His Pyro attacks don’t really deal much damage and can be quite difficult to manage or plan through. Her elemental burst costs a lot as well. So, even if it can be spammed, you’ll find yourself unlikely to do so unless you have an energy-support character along with you.

 

37. Rosaria

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 4 Star

For lack of a better description, Rosaria is an emo nun from the Church of Favonius. She’s currently the only Hydro polearm character in the game, and she moves quickly. Her abilities allow her to transport herself behind enemies and end them.

She’s like a wraith and is a great spy for the Church. Depending on your team’s needs, you could build her to be a DPS or a Support. She can deal pretty high elemental damage, and her attacks are quick.

 

38. Fischl

Element: Electro

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 4 Star

Fischl is the oddball of the Genshin Impact world, and she has a pet raven named Oz that accompanies her everywhere. With her electrical prowess, she would make a strong Electro DPS character. Equipping her with the Skyward Harp and the Thundering Fury artifact set would be a great build for her as a DPS.

Her abilities are mostly related to her raven Oz as she can take his form and summon Oz to deal some damage to her enemies. Her passive allows for shorter expedition times in Monstadt as well, so you can get more rewards in a shorter time.

 

39. Diona

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 4 Star

Here’s a unique cat humanoid girl, and she’s a bartender to boot! Diona can create Cryo shields and add to her teammate’s HP as she heals them. She also has a passive that allows you to get more bonus food when cooking restorative recipes.

As with all healers, the main issue is that Diona has low damage output, HP, and defense. She can put out big heals, but she needs someone to protect her or damage the surrounding enemies. Although her elemental burst could allow for a ton of Cryo elemental reactions, it’s pointless since her damage is pretty low.

 

40. Sucrose

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 4 Star

Albedo’s assistant, Sucrose is pretty good at crowd control and boosting the whole team’s elemental Mastery. Her elemental skill has multiple charges so that she can use them multiple times consecutively. She’ll do well as a supporting character, for sure.

The only minor issue is her Elemental Burst does take a lot of Energy to cast, and her Swirl reaction doesn’t react with Elemental Auras. Although, it does seem worth it since she can herd all your enemies into one spot and inflict damage on them for some time.

 

41. Collei

Element: Dendro

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 4 Star

One of the first playable Dendro characters released in the game, we have Collei. You could even get her for free at her time of release by completing an event. You can get her for free by progressing through the Spiral Abyss. Her backstory is quite sad, as she is a human experiment gone wrong, but now she’s a trainee forest ranger in the Avidya Forest.

The main point of Collei is for players to grasp the power of Dendro properly, so she has quite a simple kit compared to the rest. She’s great for beginners learning to use Dendro and to trigger AoE Dendro reactions. Depending on how you build her, you can equip her with either the Elegy for The End bow or the Aqua Simulacra bow.

 

42. Beidou

Element: Electro

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 4 Star

This pirate queen is a good DPS choice, but she needs a lot of skill and cost to be great. However, if you can perfectly counter your enemies with her ability, she deals extra Electro damage and can provide off-field Electro through her burst.

But alas, she needs to reach C4 to inflict higher damage while taking damage. Her elemental burst costs a lot, and her skills require perfect timing or won’t deal much damage.

 

B-Tier Genshin Impact Characters

The characters that require a little more building and push to be strong, but you’ll most probably switch out once you’ve gotten stronger characters.

 

43. Noelle

Element: Geo

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 4 Stars

Noelle is a starter character that you are guaranteed to get from the beginning, and she can be pretty powerful once maxed out. But as always, there are better characters out there. Of all the free characters, though, she’s the best to have around.

Her claymore packs a punch, and she’s a great defense character. Beidou’s elemental skills also allow HP recovery for all her team members. Her character’s main downfall is that you would need to fully unlock her constellations for her to be a great character in your team.

 

44. Candace

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 4 Star

The Guardian of Aaru Village and a descendant of Al-Ahmar (one of the great kings of Sumeru), Candace is a Hydro character that can be a great off-field sub-DPS. Although, this is only through once you’ve unlocked her constellations fully. She has a shield to protect her from damage and can provide some decent Elemental Burst damage.

Sadly, she does have below-average damage buffs when compared to other characters. Her Hydro infusion through her Elemental Burst can be a pain to deal with, depending on your team composition. It works best with Claymore, Sword, and Polearm characters.

 

45. Chongyun

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 4 Star

A boy exorcist, Chongyun has the potential to be a great sub-DPS character. His normal attacks can deal Cryo damage, and when equipped with the Blizzard Strayer artifact, Chongyun can deal extra Cryo damage to his enemies.

His elemental abilities don’t cost too much, and he has skills that would allow him to walk on water (not as good as Ayaka, but for a common 4-star, it’s impressive). The downside to his character is that he only relies on his elemental abilities for damage, and his attacks are generally pretty slow.

 

46. Xinyan

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 4 Star

A true catty rockstar, Xinyan explodes with life and her love for music. In addition, she’s great at providing shields and a physical damage boost to her teammates. This makes her a pretty decent support character if you need one.

But she doesn’t have any further perks or anything special about her. She would need to hit multiple enemies to maximize her skill’s Pyro damage. If you’re up against only one enemy, her damage is not as substantial and will seem like a waste of potential.

 

47. Sayu

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 4 Star

Sayu, a sleepy-looking girl in a Tanuki hoodie, throws out a huge Muji Muji Daruma as part of her ability. She’s adorable, but she’s only good as the support that heals. So if you need a healer in your team, Sayu would be a standard choice.

She can deal damage and heal simultaneously with her abilities, so you can pair her with some powerful DPS or sub-DPS characters to help them deal some damage and heal them as you go.

 

48. Kujou Sara

Element: Electro

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 4 Star

The leader of the Tenryou Commission with sworn allegiance to the Raiden. She is a Tengu special to Inazuma and would support your team well. Kujou can provide energy recharge abilities for your team, but nothing compared to Raiden.

She can only support with energy recharge and certain attack buffs, so in this sense, she doesn’t really contribute much to the team unless you’re truly in need of a battery or energy support.

 

49. Gorou

Element: Geo

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 4 Star

The dog boy has the potential to be a strong Genshin Impact character, but bow characters are generally a pain to use. He’s a loyal supporter of Kokomi and the Watatsumi Resistance. He does all right in the Support role, especially for Geo characters.

He can increase the critical damage inflicted by Geo with some healing abilities. The cool thing is that he has interruption resistance to deal substantial damage, and no one can stop him. So if you’re building an all-Geo team, he’s a must-have addition.

 

50. Shikanoin Heizou

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 4 Star

The number one detective of the Tenryou Commission, Heizou is an Anemo catalyst user that focuses on a swirl-based playstyle. His swirled Normal Attacks allow him to earn Declension stacks which will max out his Elemental Skill damage.

However, he has several issues that place him on a lower rank. His Elemental Burst requires proper positioning to inflict damage, and holding down on his Elemental Skill makes him open to damage. As he is open to damage, he can also be interrupted, and his skill will be canceled.

He would need some pretty good off-field teammates to boost him up to be fully useful.

 

51. Traveler (Dendro)

Element: Dendro

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 4 Star

As the Traveler resonates with a Statue of the Seven in Sumeru, he is granted the gift of Dendro as an elemental ability, similar to the other statues you interact with in their respective regions. With Dendro, you can trigger all sorts of powerful Elemental Reactions, which you can pair your Traveler with (if he is included in your team compositions).

The Traveler can deal Dendro damage and even AoE damage with their Elemental Burst. So far, this element has proven to be the most useful in creating reactions and inflicting damage.

C-Tier Genshin Impact Characters

These are usually your starter or free characters, or characters with outright terrible kits. But if you build them, level them up to the fullest, and unlock all their constellations, they have a chance at making it to the upper tiers. Although, you’re better off without.

 

52. Kaeya

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 4 Star

One of the free Genshin Impact characters you’ll get at the beginning of the game, Kaeya is the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius and a naughty one. He makes a great starter DPS when compared to your Traveler as well. His skills have short cooldowns, and his damage multipliers are pretty decent.

His character’s elemental burst would continue even if you’ve swapped your characters. Although, his downside is that his constellations are hard to get, so it’s hard to level him up further. Additionally, his skills have a small area of effect, so it does not cause much damage.

 

53. Barbara

Element: Hydro

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 4 Star

The singing idol deaconess of Monstadt. Barbara is mainly a healer, and she can bring some strong heals to the table. Her damage, however, is lacking. 

Her damage output and HP easily take a hit, and everything about her is dedicated to only healing. On the plus side, if you’ve unlocked her C6, she can revive a fallen Genshin Impact character.

 

54. Layla 

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 4 Star

A student of the Rtawahist Darshan specializing in Theoretical Astrology, Layla is a beautiful character that you would come to like if sleep-deprived scholars are your thing. She has a high health pool and strong shields to be a credible support for your team. Even so, once you break through that shield of hers, her Elemental Skill would end as well.

She has rather below-average damage, even with a low Elemental Burst cost. Overall she’s best built as a support, but only if you can fully unlock her constellations. Without unlocking as far as C4, at least, you’re better off with some other character on the field.

 

55. Qiqi

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 5 Star

Another character dedicated solely to healing, Qiqi can’t do anything but heal. Her healing abilities are powerful, but it would be great if she could do more. Another downside to her character is that she takes a while to climb over mountains and traverse long journeys due to her small stature.

Qiqi’s Cryo damage is pretty standard, but her skills have long cooldowns, and she can’t generate her own energy either. As a result, she’s literally considered the worst 5-star character in the game, which is a shame.

56. Thoma

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Polearm

Rarity: 4 Star

Thoma is the faithful housekeeper of the Kamisato Clan and is one of the newer characters in the game. He’s a polearm Pyro character, which is in itself a pretty rare sight. However, he can easily be built as a sub-DPS or Support for your team.

He can deal AoE Pyro damage and even pull up a barrier of flame to surround him and protect him from enemies while inflicting damage onto them. Although his damage scaling is super low, his Elemental Burst has a high Energy cost. His Elemental Skill cooldown also takes a long time, making it not worth it at all.

 

57. Lisa

Element: Electro

Weapon: Catalyst

Rarity: 4 Star

Lisa is one of the starter characters you’ll recruit into your team for free during the quest in Monstadt. She’s an Electro witch with a masochistic side, and she cares for the library in Monstadt.

Her abilities are pretty weak, but she’ll show you how Electro characters work and all the elemental reactions you could get. She’s basically a starter character that you’ll replace the moment you get a better Electro character.

 

58. Traveler (Electro)

Element: Electro

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 4 Star

You’ll be able to access your Electro powers once you get to the Inazuma region, which is a handy elemental ability. You would need it to activate specific points along the way, especially if you don’t already have an Electro character in hand or on your team. The Electro Traveler is pretty decent compared to the previous Geo and Anemo, that’s for sure.

 

59. Traveler (Geo)

Element: Geo

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 4 Star

The only remarkable thing about the Geo version of the Traveler you’ll obtain in Liyue is the Geo formations you can conjure up. It helps you reach high places and gives you higher ground for better plunging attacks in battle. You can also block damage from enemies, but there’s a chance you’ll also block your teammates if you’re in co-op.

 

60. Faruzan

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 4 Star

A professor of the Sumeru Akademiya and proud member of the Haravatat Darshan, she has finally returned to the Akademiya after being trapped in ruins for over a century. She is a strong Anemo character in the game, but her Elemental Burst costs a lot of energy to utilize.

Like Layla, you would also need to unlock Faruzan’s constellations to C6 if you would like to get a strong Anemo CRIT damage buff. Aside from that, she has good crowd control abilities and can decrease enemy Anemo RES to inflict more damage.

 

D-Tier Genshin Impact Characters

The weakest of the lot, you might as well not bother.

 

61. Amber

Element: Pyro

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 4 Star

Amber’s a free character and the first character you’ll come across in the game. However, it’s been universally agreed that her character doesn’t bring much to the table from the beginning. She’s great as a tutorial character, or if you have not gotten any Pyro or bow characters just yet, but that’s it.

Her attacks are weak, even her exploding chibi bomb. She’s a placeholder at best, but at least she has a cheerful personality to compensate for her lack of skills.

 

62. Traveler (Anemo)

Element: Anemo

Weapon: Sword

Rarity: 4 Star

The Anemo Traveler is probably the weakest character, but it teaches you a lot about the Anemo powers and swirl effects. Anemo is a great tutorial that sets you up for the rest of the game. It is only powerful briefly, and you’ll find yourself frustrated during battles.

 

63. Aloy

Element: Cryo

Weapon: Bow

Rarity: 5 Star

Aloy is a free character from the first Genshin Impact collaboration with Horizon Zero Dawn. So if you were playing on the PlayStation console, you would have received her designated bow and her character for free.

She’s a pretty cool character, and to no surprise, she wields a bow and controls the Cryo ability. In addition, she can deal instant damage with her burst and elemental skill. Sadly, she’s more of a decorated freebie at this point.

 

64. Dori

Element: Electro

Weapon: Claymore

Rarity: 4 Star

And here we thought no one could top Amber as one of the worst Genshin characters, but we all stand corrected. Dori joins the list, the owner of the Palace of Alcazarzaray, also known as Lord Sangemah Bay, a distinguished merchant. She is a claymore-wielding healer, but her healing abilities can only be used on a single target.

Her Elemental Burst costs a lot, and she has a low Energy Particle regeneration, so it’s not proportionate. Dori is good only as an Energy Recharge supporter or battery. However, tons of other characters could do the job.

The End!

We’re excited for more Genshin Impact characters to come and to see how the game’s developers would choose to expand the storyline of the ongoing world of Teyvat. We’re also excited to meet more interesting characters in the future as well!

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